Method of making flexible metal tubes



Aug. 17 1926. v

c. PALMER METHOD OF MAKING FLEXIBLE METAL TUBES RNVENTUR 04x2 yzawm ATTEIRNEY l 'atentetl Aug. 17, 1926.

Q JUNITBJD' srATEs PA-TENT OFFICE.

.' tascarnsranunn, or BUFFALO, NEW YORK, nssrenon ro rnnnm n METAL nosn oonrona'rron, or nurrnno, NEW YORK, A oonrom'rron or NEW roux.

LiIE'IHOD OF MAKING FLEXTBLE METAL TUBES.

Applicaflon fled 1., a, 1m. Serial n. 030,440. g

This [invention relates to a method of making a flexible metal tube orhose.

Tubes of this character, as heretofore constructed, consisted of a spiral metal strip each turn of which was provided at its opposite longitudinal edges with hook-shaped flanges which interlockedwith corresponding hook-shaped flanges .on the ad acent turns of the strip forming the tube. This construction has been found unsatisfactory inasmuch as under severe service the tube wasturned or twisted backward, thereby decreasing the diameter of the tube and permitting the hook-shaped flanges of the turns 1 to become unlocked,or slip out of engagement from each other and utility of the tube. f

It is the object of this invention to so construct the metal tube that its flexibility is preserved while at the same time preventing each convolution or turnof the spiral strip from being twisted circumferentially backward orin the direction in which the hookshaped. flanges of the same can become un- 2 locked and thus prevent the turns of the tube strip from pulling apart. Generally s eaking, this object is accomplished by deecting adjacent overlying rtions of the several turns of the strip so, that the form of the strip departs from a true circle-or cylinder, thereby causin each turn of thestri to become anchore on adjacent turns. ans thereby preventin circumferential twisting or unwinding-of t e strip and avoiding the objectionable results above referred to. I

In the accompanying drawings 1-- Figure 1 is a lon itudinal section of a flexible metal tube emiiodying my invention.

Figure 2 is a cross section thereof. Fi ure 3 4 is a perspective view of a art of the lank strip from which the flexi le metal tube is constructed. Figure 4 is a fragmentary cross section of the 00-0 eratin portions of the two off-setting profi in rofis whereby a longitudinal bend is forms in the strip for off-setting the longitudinal edges relatively the flangin profiling rolls whereby. the lonitudinal e ges of the strip are bent to form anges thereon. Figure 6 is a similar view of the up-setting profiling rolls whereby the flanges of the. stri are upset moderately. Figure 7 is a simi ar view. of the mandrel and the partial closing or setting down roll whereby the upset flanges of ad acent turns thus destroy the to each other. Fi re 5 is a slmilar view of each other with the result .t

of the. spiral strip after being engaged are partly pressed together so that they are interlocked. Fi ure 8 is a similar view show ing the partia ly closed or set down strip between the mandrel and .the guiding die. Figure 9 is a similar view. of the mandrel and the deflecting o'r final setting down roll. Figure 10is a front elevation of that part of the machine containin the mechanism for interlockin thehook flanges of the strip, closing t e flanges so that'they are interlocked and deflected at intervals to form facets thereon which prevent unwinding of the spiral strip. Figure 11 is a side elevation of this art of the machine. Similar c 'aracters of reference indicate corresponding parts throughoutthe several views. i 4

In its general organization, the flexible metal tube or hose whichfcontains my improvements is constructed of a strip 11 of pliable sheet metal which is wound spirally so that the front edge 12 of each convolution or turn overlaps t e rear edge 10 of the preceding, convolution. The several convolutions of the strip which thus form a tube are interlocked with each other so that the tube is flexible, yet will not pull apart under normal conditions, by offsetting the front and-rear edge portions of the strip so as to form a longitudinal web 13 between. them and providing the front edge portion of each convolutionwith an inwardly projecting hook-shaped flange 14 which interlocks with an outwardly projecting hook-shaped flange 15 on the rear 'edge portion of the next preceding convolution of the strip, as shown in Fig. 1. Such a tube is capable of'being bent freely when used normally for conductlng various materials of a granular or fluid nature. I

If however the tube is twisted or turned backwardly circumferentially to a considerable extent, the co-operating hook flanges'of some parts. of the tube are liable to become detached or slip. out of en agement with of the tube is destroyed and cannotbe repaired. This is particularly liable to occur when using a tube of this character for delivering sprayin materials in an orchard from a tank to a distributing nozzle at which time the attendant by repeatedly dropping the nozzle and picking it up again is iable to turn the tube or hose backwardly one step at the utility at a time until the convolutione of the strip have become unwound to such an extent as to unlock some of the convolutions from each other and thus render the tube useless for conveying purposes.

To overcome this objectionable result in accordance with this invention, adjacent conengage with the outwardly projecting up-set flange 23 at the rear or trailing longitudinal. edge of the last turn or convolution of thevolutions of the strip are constructed so that they are not only interlocked to resist sepa ration b a lengthwise pull but are also interlocke to prevent circumferential rotation of one convolution relatively to another. This circumferential interlock is preferably accomplished by deflecting adjacent arts of overlying convolutions so that in e ect the deflected parts anchor one convolution on another. This is eflected-in' the most practical way by providing each convo ution of the strip with an annular row of flat facets 16 which is engaged by correspondin facets of the adjacent convolution to the strip. The facets of each tube preferably register with the facets of adjacent turns and the several facets lengthwise in line with each other form a plurality of spiral bands or longitudinally extended facets which facilitates the manufacture of the same. Although eight facets are shown circumferentially on each convolution of the strip by way of example, the number of facets thus formed on the turns may be varied depending upon the size of the tubing, the particular use which is to he made of it, or other conditions.

A flexible metal tube thus provided with facets which are anchored against circumferential displacement relatively each other positively prevents the tube from unwindin and unlocking one turn from another, thus ensuring maintaining the tube in good working condition at all times.

The preferred means and method of procedure for manufacturing this improved metal flexible tube in accordance with my invention are as follows:

A stri llof liable sheet metal of a suitable width, as or example that shown in Fig. 3, is first passed between a pair of oftsetting profiling rolls 17, 18 as the co-operating peripheral surfaces of which are adapt- .ed upon engaging opposite sides of the strip blank to off-set the two edge portions of the strip relatively to each other and form the longitudinal web 13 which connects the inner opposin Fig. t. tie strip is nezit passed between two flanging profiling rollers 19, 20 which are constructed and operate to form flanges 22,

23 which projectin opposite directions on the outer longitudinal edges of the strip and are arrange at right angles. theret as shown in Fig. 5. The strip is next operated upon lay the opposing surfaces of a pair of: rip-setting proiilerollers 25, which constructed to bend the arts ofthese ofl-sets as shown in inwardly so as toform oblidue angles with the body of the strip, as shown in Fig. 6. The strip is now passed'to a rotary mandrel 27 in such manner that the strip winds spirally around this mandrel and causes the inwardly turned upset flange 22 at the front or advancing longitudinal edge of thestrip to which ting-down roll- 28 arranged above the man v dre flanges on the strip isincreased and these flanges are partiall interlocked, as shown in Figs. 9 and 10 an prevented from becoming' disengaged.

After the partially interlocked hook shaped flanges on adjacent convolutions of the strip have been acted on b the mandrel and inital setting down roll, t is strip with its flanges still in the same condition descends on one side of the mandrel and the flan es are retained in this position by a guiding ie 29, as-shown in Figs. 8 and 10. Up to the place where the partially interlocked hookanges of adjacent convolutions of the strip emerge from between the mandrel and the guiding die, the convolutions of the strip, which now form part of the tube, are of circular form. But as the tubular strip contini lel with, or substantially parallel wit the axis of the tube, as shown in Fig. 9, whereby these flanges are fully interlocked and incapable of. being separated or unhooked under normal conditions. In addition to completing-the setting down of the interlocking flanges of the strip, the final setting down rollfollows the polygonal contour of the periphery of the mandrel which in the present case of octa' onal form,' thereby causing successive portions of the tube strip after being interlocked with a -preceding portion to be bent or deflected inwardly at intervals to conform to the shape of the naandrei, as shown by dottedline 31 in Fig,

10 whereby a finished tube is produced whereby the hook formation of the its lhe result of this action is illd which is polygonal in cross section. in the f present case each of the convolutions of the cube when finished is provided withfeight w corresponding facets of 7 extending facet a circumferential row.

spiral depending on the number of facets in tube thus provided with portions of its convolutions deflected from a circular or cylindrieal form causes these convolutions or turns to be anchored on eabh other so that they areheld against circumferential motion one relative to the other and thereby prevent the unwinding of the tube and pull- 1 g apart of the same as heretofore describe A In a machine organized for producing the several operations above described, the'rolls 4, 5 and 6 may be mounted onshown in Figs.

a frame of any suitable construction, It is.

referred, however, to mount the mandrel, initial setting roll, guiding die and final setting roll in the manner shown in Figs. 10 and 11, which is asfollowsz 82 represents a main frame provided centraliy with a main horizontal drivlng shaft 38 one end of which carries the mandrel 27 and the other a driving gear wheel 34. The initial setting down roll is mounted on a hearing block or'slide which is movable .vertically in a' guideway 36 in the frame and.

may be adjusted toward and from the mandrel by a screw 37 which is mounted on the frame and engages with the slide 35. A rotary motion is imparted to the initial setting down roll from the driving shaft by means of an intermediate shaft 38 connected at its front end by a universal joint 26 with the rear end ofthe shaft or s indle 39 which carries the initial setting own roll, and a rear shaft 40 journaled in the main' frame and connected. at its front end with the rear end of the intermediate shaft 38 by a universal coupling 41 and provided at its rear end with a gear pinion 42 which meshes with a gear wheel 43 on the main shaft. guiding die. 29 has its face constructed of crescent formto correspond generally with the periphery of the mandrel and the same is mounted so as to be capable of adjustment The flexible metal The relatively'to the periphery of the mandrel by means of abolt 44 connecting the guiding die. with a carryin block or slide 45, a

and in which the die block can move toward and fromv the mandrel, and. an. adjusting screw 47 mounted on the frame and operatively engaging the die block 45. The final setting down roll 30" is'mounted on a, front shaft or spindle 48 which is journaled in a bearing block or carrier 49 which is be capable of movement toward and from theperi hery of the-mandrel, a spring 51 interpose between the outer side of the bearing block 49 and serving constantly to press the final setting down roll toward the periphery of the mandrel, an adjusting screw 61 mounted on the main frame and engaging with the outer end of said spring for varyguided in a guideway- 50 on the main frame so as to guideway .46 which 1s formed on the frame ing the tension of the same, an lntermediate shaft 52 is connected at its front, end by a universal joint 53 with the front-shaft or spindle 48 which carries the final setting down roll, a rear shaft 54 journaled in a suitable bearing on the main frame and connected at its front end 'by a universal joint 55 with the intermediate shaft, anda gear pinion 56 arranged on the rear end of the rear shaft 54' and meshing with the gear,

wheel 43 on the main driving shaft.

Obviously, other forms of anchorage between the several turns of the strip and other means than those shown in the drawings may be em loyedfor flexible metal tu of my lnvention an it is therefore to be understood that this invention is not limited to the specific conproducing the struction of tube nor the particular means I here shown for its production.

I claim as m invention r e The. herein escribed method .of producing a flexible metal tube which consists in forming hook-shaped flanges on opposite edges of a strip of metal, winding said strip spirally so'as to form a tube in which a jacent convolutions interlock other, and providing the interlocking convolutions with co-operating flattened facets which prevent circumferential movement of one convolution on another, the formation with each of said hooks, the interlocking of the hooksof adjacent convolutions and the flattening of said convolutions for producing sai facet-s being efi'ected simultaneously on different parts of this tube. CHARLES PALMER. 

